Last season, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James proved that he remains one of the best basketball players in the world despite being in his 20th NBA season. He helped the Lakers make the Western Conference Finals and despite coming up short, he is ready to go for Year 21.
Obviously LeBron can’t quite do everything he was capable of a decade ago, but his level of play at this stage of his career is unlike anything anyone else has ever been able to do. The Lakers star was still an All-NBA selection and had stretches where he was still able to take over games.
James took some time off this offseason and admittedly contemplated retirement before ultimately announcing that he would be back. And with training camp not too far away, the Lakers star is in the gym putting in work in preparation for the upcoming season, via Legion Hoops:
LeBron is locked in for Year 21 👀
Who’s stopping the Lakers this season? (via @Cbrickley603) pic.twitter.com/WVNkDnFBMA
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 17, 2023
The most noticeable thing here is that LeBron’s jumper is looking much better and that was an issue for him last season, especially down the stretch. James shot just 32.1% from 3-point range, his worst since 2016. It got worse in the playoffs as he knocked down just 26.4% of his 3-pointers, the third-worst mark of his postseason career.
LeBron has become more reliant on his jumper as his career has gone on and he’s unable to just dominate going to the rim for extended periods. It is also worth noting that a lot of those jumpers in the video were of the catch-and-shoot variety which is something we could see more of this year. Austin Reaves is expected to take on more primary playmaking duties for the Lakersk which would help lessen the load on James. But in order for that to be as effective as possible, LeBron will have to be a reliable spot-up shooter.
There are high expectations coming into the season for the Lakers, but in the end, the team is still led by James and he looks ready to go just weeks out from the start of camp.
Lakers’ LeBron James ready to commit for final Olympic run in 2024
James is hoping to lead the Lakers to another championship, but he is also seemingly looking for one final gold medal as well. LeBron already has two gold medals from the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, but apparently he wants one more.
Following Team USA’s failure to medal in the FIBA World Cup, reports suggest the Lakers star is prepared to commit for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and is already recruiting other top American stars to join as well.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
